(from owner Barry
Wolk) This is the first of two known Ford authorized Mark
II convertibles.

The Mark II was originally conceived as a convertible as early as
1953 as drawn by Charley Phaneuf. These drawings would inspire some
later artful modifications to my car.

Hess & Eisenhardt, of Kennedy limousine fame, had a long history
with Ford Motor Company. The Chicago District of Ford Marketing
ordered two prototype convertibles from them in September of 1955.
This car was designated as an "Introductory Unit" on its Production
Order. It was shipped to a distributor in Chicago where it was
supposed to reside in a dealership showroom as a demonstrator, not
to be sold until Continental filled the supply pipeline. These were
very early production cars and were owned by Ford so that the
dealership didnšt have to carry the burden of a $10,000 car they
couldnšt sell. The serial number of this car is C5681126 and its
Production Order number is 137.

This Mark II convertible was originally built as a dealer
demonstrator to show wealthy clients in the Chicago area what a
convertible would look and drive like. Ford Marketing in the Chicago
District ordered two convertibles. Hess & Eisenhardt took a stock
black 1956 Continental Mark II and took the
body off the frame after welding in temporary supports that would
compensate for removing the roof. This black car was C5681126.

The frame was flipped over and 1/4" plate steel was artfully cut and
stitch-welded to the serpentine "cowbelly" frame. There are tubular
cross-braces welded in an "X" to further support the "A" and "B"
pillars. The floor pan was neatly hammered to clear the
tubular supports below. A substantial sub-structure was built to
support the convertible top. This structure is independent of the
body, transferring the weight and stress of the convertible top to
the frame. The stock Continental łcowbelly˛ frame was designed with
a convertible body in mind. A third cross-member was removed
for the 1957 frame since plans for a production convertible had been
scrapped.

The body was fitted back to the frame and the roof was removed. Hess
& Eisenhardt fabricated a power top mechanism that was driven by a
power pack in the trunk. The top fittings on my car are
period-correct Mercedes bits and pieces commonly used in H & E
convertibles. The end product was very similar to the Derham made
convertible produced almost a year later for the Texas State Fair in
October of 1956. That car was originally white while on the show car
circuit. When Ford was finished with that car it came back and was
repainted by Ford Styling. It was eventually painted Honolulu Blue,
a favorite color of William Clay Ford and was driven by his wife as
a daily driver. Paul Wagner, whose job it became to dispose of cars
like this, fought for the car with other Ford executives. He kept
the car for a few years but eventually sold it to the Goeppinger
family of Boone, Iowa.

My car changed hands several times and ended up in the possession of
a real estate developer in Georgia. He took pictures of the car with
the original H & E top when he got it. He envisioned a sleeker
design to the fabric boot that covered the convertible top when
stowed. Possibly he was inspired by
the Charley Phaneuf drawings. He was inspired by the SL Mercedes of
the late 1960s and fashioned a crude mechanism that flipped the new
metal boot backward, just like the Mercedes. Through the magic of
lead a beautiful finish was put on the exposed surfaces making the
finished product a sleek
statement of quiet elegance.

The top was extended rearward and a fastening system identical to
the period SL was installed. This changed the roofline to closely
match that of the original Continental convertible. The finishing
touch was added in the restoration that took place in š93. The
beautiful fiberglass bow covers replaced the fabric snap on covers
installed in 69. This Mark II convertible most closely duplicates
the original design penned in 1953.